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Medjool Date, Cranberry & Orange Granola Clusters

medjool date cranberry orange granola clusters
YIELD: 1.5lbs

A healthy, homemade granola recipe easy as 1, 2, 3. Natural Delights® Medjool dates serve up sweetness you can feel good about.

Ingredients

  • ½ lb. quick oats
  • ½ lb. rolled oats
  • 3 cups mixed nuts & seeds, roughly chopped in a food processor (examples: almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, amarath or millet)
  • 1-½ cups Medjool dates, pitted & roughly chopped
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 sticks butter, unsalted
  • 2 oranges, zested (reserve ½ cup of the orange juice)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup orange juice, from zested oranges
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 tsp. salt

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl combine oats, nuts, dates, cranberries. Break the dates up with your hands if they are sticking together and coat with oat mixture.
  3. In a medium saucepan simmer together the butter with the remaining ingredients until well blended with a whisk.
  4. Pour over oat mixture and blend well.
  5. Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes to moisten.
  6. On a lined baking sheet pour granola mixture in pan.
  7. Press firmly into an even layer, making sure to press all the way into the corners.
  8. Bake until golden brown. 25-35minutes. The center should be firm.
  9. Remove from oven and let cool to room temp.
  10. Break into large clusters.
  11. Store in an airtight container for on-the-go snacking.

Serving suggestion

Serve over yogurt with fruit or eat by the handful as a snack.

*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.